Snowflakes
by Summer Memory
Summary: AU.ZoLu.One-shot.Luffy’s life has been miserable in the past two years, and in a cold winter night, he was in the park.Waiting for a certain green haired man.Perhaps.


**Disclaimer: As always; One Piece, its characters, and its amazing plot don't belong to me. They are properties of Oda-sensei.**

I know I shouldn't be writing anymore, I even have written in my profile page that I've stopped writing…. But, well, there are things that are so hard for me to quit.  
This is the replacement, I'm sorry I forgot to place the horizontal ruler,I thought I did it in my Ms. Word, but it seems that ffn document can't read it. So, please enjoy!

**Snowflakes**

A small young man was sitting on the bench in the park, staring up at the darkening winter sky. His black hair was cut short but was long enough to frame his pale face. Sighing, he leaned back and saw his breath forming thin smoke as soon as it left his slightly parted lips caused by the coldness of the weather.

Turning his head to his left, he saw a green haired man, still in his working suit, coming to his direction.

He scowled and wrapped his arms around his own shivering body, wishing that he had worn warmer clothes than a red t-shirt and a pair of black-blue jeans.

* * *

A man with unruly long hair entered the dimly lit living room and flopped down onto the sofa roughly without bothering to put off his shoes and jacket.

Luffy leaned on the side of the kitchen and watched the man quickly falling asleep, brows furrowing into a deep frown in disgust.

"Lu…" he heard the man call his name and he hesitated before walking closer to him, making sure to be cautious in taking each steps. Even from two feet away, the smell of alcohol can be smelled and he noted that the old man's face was bet red. No doubt he had drunk again.

"You stink." Luffy said, loud enough to be heard by the drunken man.

The man opened one bloodshot eye idly to the boy's direction. "Is that how you are supposed to talk to your father?"

Luffy snorted, not really interested to argue any further. He'd love to, but he knew it would only end into another session of beating. Zeff, his boss at Baratie where he worked, had started wondering if he was involved in an illegal fighting club since he always came to work with an injured body part. Be it his arm, face, or leg.

"We're running out of money" Luffy stood still, stealing a quick glance to his old man before tearing away immediately. No longer could bear watching a father whom he once was proud of.

"Then go find a job with bigger salary." Dragon said easily.

Luffy clicked his tongue. "What's the point on me getting a new job if you always spend the money with drinking?" He replied, barely managed to keep the steadiness of his voice, fists clenching together, "Stop mourning for mom's death, you nuts!!"

He hated this. He hated shouting at his own father. He hated how suddenly the death of his mom ruined his life, their life. His father was now too busy mourning and blaming himself to even care about his sons. His father had never knew, how hard he had been through those past two years, how to get a part time job and earned money for them both. Even if it meant abandoning his dreams to go to a college like people usually do.

Lufy gritted his teeth and closed his eyes shut, muttering 'I hate you.' Repeatedly under his breath for no one but himself could hear.

Suddenly he felt a calloused hand grazed his upper arm and he was too late to pull away from his old man who was before him.

"You're beautiful, Luffy….Just like your mother. Too bad she died, ne?" dragon's words were above a whisper tickling his ear and the smell of alcohol was getting stronger as he moved closer, making Luffy dizzy. But Dragon's mind was too hazy to realize it, or the fact that he was about to do something he shouldn't have to his younger son.

And that was when Luffy react, giving a good punch on the jaw and kneeing on his balls in a single rapid move and ran into the door. He barely managed to grab the key to his apartment on his way and locked Dragon from outside. He could hear him pound into the door and curse loudly as he, rolling his eyes, walked away from his apartment.

He would regret not wearing warm clothes or any shoes later.

* * *

The green haired man frowned as his coat was thrown aside by a raven haired boy before him and reached out to pick it up. He was about to slinging it over those small shoulders when he saw Luffy's lips move slightly.

"Stop it, Zoro."

Zoro ignored and stubbornly draped it over the boy. "You're freezing." He simply replied, "Don't you dare to take it off again, or--"

"Or what?" Luffy snapped, black beads staring straight to Zoro's direction, "I thought I told you to stay away."

"You did." Zoro shrugged. "But it's cold outside and I don't want you to freeze to death." He looked down and gave a mocking expression, "and you're wearing no shoes."

Luffy sighed and looked away, making no attempt to tongue back this time.

"Anything wrong?" Zoro sat beside him, not even bothering to take some distance like other people would, for they knew Luffy was too unpredictable. But Zoro knew him a lot better. "Wanna tell me?"

Luffy's eyes swept over him, before then half-heartily muttering an answer. "I'm fine, thank you."

Zoro raised an eyebrow, he knew Luffy was lying, but made no comment after all.

Luffy curled into a tight ball, raising his feet on the bench and hugged his knees closer. The coldness was slowly killing him if not for Zoro's warm coat. He looked down at where his feet left a red mark from the scrapes from walking on the road bare-footed. They didn't hurt, because his feet were going numb.

"How's life?" Zoro hated to start a conversation, he usually didn't do much talking and he wasn't good at words either.

"Sucks." Was only Luffy's reply. still not looking up from the invisible spot he had been looking at, his voice was a bit muffled.

"I heard Ace have been studying abroad since this spring. When'll he come back?"

It took some time for Luffy to answer, "As if he remembers having a dearly little brother here."

To say Zoro was shocked was an under statement. Never had Luffy said bad things about Ace, not until now.

"It's better for him to be there, away from us." Luffy added bitterly. He wasn't going to cry, not anymore. Not after he had promised to himself to stand strong and not to cry anymore. The last time he cried was almost a half year ago, when Ace left to study abroad, because after he left, Luffy knew he would no longer have anyone to comfort him.

But it was just too painful to keep it only to himself.

A heavy silence fell upon them once more. Zoro looked up to the sky, where millions of tiny snowflakes started falling from the dark sky. He looked at Luffy, the boy was still curling into himself, and sighed. Oh, how he wanted Luffy to see that also.

Luffy loved snow. Always.

"Remember when we held your graduation party? It was here, in this park." Zoro was the one to break the silence once again, "You've changed a lot since then."

Luffy smiled softly and untied his hands to be brought close to his mouth. The breath that escapes his lips helped to warm them up a bit. "People grow up, Zoro."

"Not you. You are still selfish and stubborn as ever. " Zoro paused in his mid-sentence and titled his head to get a better look at Luffy before continuing, "And you still love me."

Luffy abruptly turned his eyes and blinked. His look softened as his lips curved upward into a denial smirk. "I did. Back at high school."

'_What if I still do, Zoro? Will you shake me off? I heard from Sanji you have engaged to her.'_

The raven haired titled his head and gave a mocking grin, "Our high school time has ended two years ago, remember?"

"Then why are you here, of all places, and today, of all day?" Zoro smirked and crossed his hands on his chest, "Because you know I'll always pass this place when I'm going home from working because this is the shortest way for me to get home without getting lost. And because you know I'll be here today."

'Because you know here is our memorial place, the place I confessed to you and also the place we broke, two years ago.' Zoro added mentally.

Luffy carelessly shrugged a 'How should I know? It just happens'. Zoro's coat fell off from his shoulder as he sprung to his feet, wincing in pain when his injured feet touched the cold of the snow.

He took out a box of cigarette and a lighter from his pockets. He was almost lighting a new cigarette when suddenly Zoro grabbed his wrist harshly and threw the nicotine stick to a random direction. It gave a soft thud as it hit the piles of white.

"Who taught you to smoke?" Zoro gave him a stern look.

Luffy glared the older man, only to be glared back with a more piercing look from the dark green orbs, "Mind your own bussi—ow!"

"Who?' Zoro cut off abruptly, tightening his already tight grips on Luffy, "Don't tell me that shitty cook did."

"No, Sanji didn't." Luffy replied as he stopped struggling to free himself, "But I once stole a pack from him."

"You know it's not good for your lungs! You even told Sanji that several times!" Zoro barked angrily, making him lost his balance and both men fell onto the ground. Zoro on top. "Give it up already!"

Luffy let out a gasp as his back hit the cold ground, but managed to reply anyway. " I'm not taking order from anyone. Especially you, a merely nobody."

"I am not a 'nobody' to you! Neither you to me!"

"Then what am I to you? What have I been to you all this time?" Luffy spat out the question that had been lingering in his head for quite sometime bitterly.

Zoro did but bit his lower lip, not even realizing that his grip was going loosened and Luffy slipped out easily.

"Can't answer, huh, Zoro?" Luffy said smugly. But even if he said it smiling, Zoro still could sense pain and hollowness in the raven haired boy's voice and that it was eating him from inside.

Luffy didn't wait for Zoro to answer and picked Zoro's abandoned coat, easily slipping into it as he reached out his cigarette and the lighter. He lit one, and coughed at the first inhale but getting used to the next.

"Mind lending me your coat? As you said it before, I'm freezing." Luffy grinned and, waving his hand, he walked away from Zoro. But stopped after three steps, "Oh, almost forgot. Happy fourth anniversary for us, even if we're not together anymore."

Zoro watched as snowflakes started falling onto the ground, mercilessly covering the bloody footprits Luffy left behind.

* * *

August 17, 2008

Almost like a plotless story, huh? Ahaha, sorry for that. By the way, I am not sure how to say the 'happy fourth anniversary for us' thing? What should it be? I often hear ' a fourth -- anniversary' but how actually to say it right? Does anyone care to help me? I'd really appreciate it.

Anyway, please review :D


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